Chicago Municipal Elections 2011: Daley’s Decision an Opportunity for a New Chicago

By Brian GladsteinProgram Director, JCUA

Mayor Daley’s decision to not run for re-election creates an historic opportunity to advocate for issues that are affecting the lives of everyday Chicagoans—to change the bleak picture that’s been painted for the city’s most vulnerable residents.

Our city has long avoided dealing with issues of poverty, housing displacement, and displacement of students from underperforming schools. Patronage and police brutality have increased while government transparency and our democratic rights have been lost in translation.

Brian Gladstein, Program Director

Pressing issues are glossed over in the form of beautiful parks, cutting-edge art, a vibrant downtown district, massive condo conversions and high-end housing developments.

Our next mayor shouldn’t be someone afraid to face the issues plaguing Chicago.

Our next mayor should be someone concerned with solving our city’s problems using a philosophy of social justice and human rights—someone who has an open door policy with community-based organizations. Someone whose objective it is to promote policies that serve ALL Chicagoans—both rich and poor. Someone committed to ending patronage and corruption and increasing transparency and government accountability.

We need to seize this opportunity to focus the upcoming municipal elections on issues that matter most to us. Intense voter education and engagement is needed to prepare the electorate for decisions that, we hope, will make the city transparent and accountable once and for all.